Hard
It is hard to drag ourselves away from the comforts
of the hostel in Foz do Iguaçu, but
we really need to get back on our bikes. Especially
when mould starts to grow on the damp straps of your
bike helmet tucked at the end of the tent. There has
been so much to busy ourselves with here and quite frankly,
sitting around in a nice and well equipped environment
with plenty of travellers coming and going is really
pleasant. So much so...

Tip
of the month: How to lace a 32 spoke hub to a 36 spoke rim

When time is of the essence;
the only parts are a 32-spoke hub and a
36-spoke rim; then a little bit of improvisation
is in order. And here's a solution to get
you successfully back on the road.

Drill four extra holes
in your hub keeping in mind that they need
to be as close to dead centre of the two
existing holes as possible. Lace the wheel
as per normal with four spokes being a fraction
longer. While your wheel will not be perfectly
true, you will be able to pedal. And sometimes
that is crucial.

Special thanks to:
Everyone at Loja do Ciclista in Laranjeiras do Sul for their patience and excellent creative group thinking when trying to fix
my rear wheel. And then to top it all off,
offering us the labour for free. I think
we all learned something special from this
experience: there is always a solution to
every problem • Cristian
and the crew at Biketech in Curitiba for
their expertise and eagerness to help build
a completely new and sturdy rear-wheel for
loaded touring • Our Warmshowers host: João Paulo Saboia for generously
putting us up for a few days in Curitiba,
making us feel right at home and cooking
us his fabulously delicious pizza. Juliana
his flatmate; as well as his great bunch
of friends for all their conversations,
kindness, contacts and fun-times • Michelle
and Dave for their wonderfully thoughtful
present. XXX • Ciclone
Bike in Peruíbe for their quick work
in replacing Ali's brake cables and blocks
and the two complimentary money belt gifts • Adriaan
for the time spent via Skype to book our
flights and the loan of his credit card
when both of ours were blocked from being
used via internet • Helsport tent-makers once again for their wonderfully
sturdy and reliable masterpiece: the Isfjell
2. It has had a real beating in Brazil and
after eight years of life it is still keeping
us secure.